KDKA Investigates: Pittsburgh Police Leaving City In Droves

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — After years of patrolling the rough and tumble streets of the City of Pittsburgh, serving an often-times unsupportive public, Matt Reid left for the quieter and more welcoming Borough of Whitehall.

The base salary for city police is about 25 percent below those of their suburban counter parts, and their pension program falls far short. Swartzwelder says the flight to the suburbs is basic supply and demand economics.

“You have a very, very small supply of qualified candidates with a very high demand from around the city and other locations,” says Swartzwelder. “And the police officers are exercising their right to use their skill level to go to a higher paying location to work.”

He gets no argument from Chief McLay who wants the city cops to reach pay and pension parity with the suburbs.

“My members deserve to be paid competitively with the region. We’re not. That’s making my job extremely difficult,” he says.